Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman will become the first serving politician to be officially registered as a lobbyist.

He is to be listed on the register of consultant lobbyists as part of his chairmanship of Policy Connect , a not-for-profit company that has held meetings attended by paying businesses and ministers.

Mr Sheerman previously told the Examiner that Policy Connect aims to improve public policy and was founded by cross-party MPs angered at lobbying in Commons, but he was not available to comment on the latest development.

The Guardian newspaper has reported that Policy Connect should be defined as a lobbying company because it is paid money by clients who are then given the opportunity to meet ministers.

Mr Sheerman told the newspaper he had reluctantly registered as a lobbyist and told them: “We instigated Policy Connect years ago as a not-for-profit social enterprise in order to facilitate a good, open conversation between industry and MPs.

“We are the antidote to lobbyists. We have argued it with everyone. In the end, we said ‘alright, if you say we have to [register], much against our better judgment, we will do so’. And we do so under protest.

“I don’t see it as lobbying. I see it as part of my job as a good legislator to get good policy.”